Ways to increase assembly line efficiency

Assembly line efficiency can be directly linked to a manufacturing company’s profits. As such, a company that can produce more products in a shorter time frame will be rewarded with greater profits. Conversely, a company with an inefficient assembly line will find its output is restricted, and its profits suffer as a result.

For these reasons, companies are constantly looking to modify and improve the efficiency of their assembly lines. Here’s a few tips on how to do so:

1: Optimize the pace

Probably the most important factor in assembly line efficiency is the pace of the line. Everything will run efficiently and smoothly so long as all the workers can keep up with the pace, but the problem is there are many things that can cause the pace to slow down. Therefore, line managers need to keep a constant watch for any pace changes so they can identify the cause of any slowdowns, and rectify them to get the line back up to its optimum speed.

2: Don’t push employees too hard

Scientific studies have proven that employees make more mistakes when they’re overworked, and even relatively minor mistakes can have a serious impact on the line’s overall efficiency. Therefore, it’s important to pay close attention to worker’s health and make sure they take regular breaks. This is true even for the most studious employees who insist they’re fine to keep on working. Don’t always let them do so if you believe they’re not sufficiently rested.

3: Make things comfortable

In many facilities employees have to put up with a lot of discomfort, whether its due to intense cold, heat or humidity, or simply just because they’re provided with uncomfortable chairs. While some line managers might brush off these concerns, studies have shown that comfort equates to increased efficiency on most assembly lines. Therefore, it makes sense to provide workers with comfortable seating, air conditioning or heating to ensure they are more settled. Doing so will result in a noticeable increase in assembly line efficiency.

4: Use lifting machinery

One of the biggest time wasters on an assembly line is when workers are forced to lift heavy objects or equipment onto or off of the production line. If this is a problem in your factory then you should consider investing in ergonomic lifting machinery, which can speed up the lifting process and increase your employee’s comfort. This will improve both the efficiency of the assembly line and also reduce the chances of workers being injured.

5: Minimize walking

When workers are required to leave their stations to obtain supplies this slows down the assembly line. Therefore, it’s better to reduce employee’s walking time by providing all of the supplies they need within arm’s reach. This measure alone will lead to a significant increase in productivity.

Pall-Pack is a leading company of packaging machines. They specialize in complete lines, focusing on the food industry.